Video game collecting broke into the mainstream news about a month ago when a pristine, unopened copy of Stadium Events (!) sold for around the $40,000 mark. Now look, I certainly don’t jive with the idea of paying for half of a home’s mortgage on an old video game. With that being said, Stadium Events nes represents a serious collector’s piece. I get it. I wouldn’t spend that much on collecting video games. But, to each his own. When the media write stories like this, they fail to realize that video games are subject to the same economic factors as any other good or service. Supply vs demand determine the prices. In the case of Stadium Events nes, supplies are extremely low!
I began to think that maybe it would be prudent to put together a solid list of the rarest video games for those of you who began collecting after the 90’s. I mean, there are plenty of affordable rare games to be snatched up on eBay right now. And just like anything else, as these items age and become even more rare, the prices will adjust accordingly. My list of the rarest video games for the bargain hunter includes collectors editions/limited editions, rare Dreamcast games, rare PS3 games, rare Xbox games, and more.
- Mass Effect Limited Edition Xbox 360 – Not to be confused with any of the various collectors editions or sequels. The original 2007 Mass Effect 1 limited edition for Xbox has risen in price and rarity in recent years. If you’re serious about collecting, snag a copy up. This will be worth quite a bit one day. There’s currently one on eBay in pristine/unopened condition with a BIN of $199.99.
- Luigi’s Mansion – You can pick up a second hand copy pretty cheap ($1 to $20ish depending on condition). Unopened copies of these rare Dreamcast games sell anywhere from $50 to $200.
- World of Warcraft Collectors Edition – Burning Crusades, The Lich King, Cataclysm. It really doesn’t matter which edition you’re looking at. Sealed copies of WOW are starting to sell high. The prices are beginning to get astronomical here as they creep up to prices near the $4000 mark. Perhaps these games could see prices like stadium events nes in the next 5 to 10 years from now.
- Dead Space Ultra Limited Edition – With name like that, what do you expect. The difference between Dead Space is that the other games are only expensive when you purchase sealed/mint copies. With Dead Space, the added bonus items (art books, autographs, making of DVD’s, etc.) drive up the price. Right now, eBay has a sealed copy ($999.99 BIN) and a gently used (read open but not scratched up) copy ($699.99). The prices are only going north as time passes.
- Uncharted 2: Fortune Hunter Edition – You can’t discuss rare PS3 games without mentioning Uncharted 2. That’s because the FH edition for Uncharted 2 comes packed in an art book signed by the game’s designers and complete with a replica dagger. Pretty cool. But, be prepared to fork over between $2000 to $5000 for a used copy and your left kidney for an unopened copy. This one is rare and probably out of the reach for us common plebes.
- Zelda Twilight Princess DS Demo – Couldn’t actually find this on ebay at the moment. They were much more common in the last decade. These cartridges still pop up from time to ebay. Check back from time to time. Keep in mind, this isn’t an actual game. Nintendo basically packed E3 demo photage of TP into a cart to play on your Nintendo DS.
- Monster Kingdom Jewel Summoner – Most Atlas games are rare and expensive. Luckily, being on the PSP platform tones down the price for certain collector’s items. Monster Kingdom takes the cake with prices near $100 for an unopened/sealed copy. Rare PSP games offer a serious bargain for the patient collector!
- Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence Limited Edition – Prices for Subsistence had dropped. Had as in past tense. They’re rising again. Pick up a pristine copy before the prices get out of hand here.
Keith asked me to upload a screenshot of the auction. Apparently, the sale was for $35,100 exactly. I was $4,900 off the mark in my initial reporting 🙂
